


Driven

by shadowsfan



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-28
Updated: 2014-02-28
Packaged: 2018-01-14 02:28:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1249351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowsfan/pseuds/shadowsfan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Modern AU where Melisandre is a singer and Robert is her promoter/lover.  Stannis is obsessed with his brother's mistress.  The first chapter is told from Stannis' point of view and the second chapter is the same series of events told from Mel's point of view.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Stannis

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this when I was bored on a work trip and the plot is really just an excuse for Stannis/Mel smut. I decided to tell the same story from both Stannis' POV and then Mel's POV when I realized that Stannis wasn't really understanding why Mel was doing some of the things she was doing and I wanted to make her motivations clear.
> 
> Thanks again to CommaSplice for being the best beta ever!

Stannis watched from the deep shadows of stage right as Melisandre launched into her final song. Her hit ballad had rocketed to number one on the pop charts just last week. The audience surged to their feet. Many were holding cell phones aloft either displaying the flame app or taking unlicensed video footage that would soon end up on the internet. Stannis knew that they would expect an encore; they would be stomping their feet and shouting for at least ten minutes after the band had exited the stage. He intended to use that time to get Melisandre into the limo and safely away.

“Keep her out of trouble, Stannis.” He could still hear Robert’s orders in his head, “No roadies, no groupies and for fuck’s sake keep her away from that goddamn drummer, Gendry Waters.”

Stannis would do his duty as instructed. He was rarely present at a performance and had never been on the road with the band. He had to admit that he was quite impressed by the energy of the musicians and the enthusiasm with which the crowd responded. However, the pervasive atmosphere of decadence on the tour left Stannis feeling a bit disoriented. An hour ago he had been approached by a tattooed woman wearing a No Doubt T-shirt and no bra who’d asked if he wanted to get high. He’d called security but the guard had acted disinterested.  The woman had disappeared only to be replaced by several other persons of dubious character milling around backstage.

Concert promotion was Robert’s domain, while Stannis worked in an office downtown taking care of the financial end of the business. But when Robert was called away, supposedly on an unexpected business trip, he had put his younger brother in charge of protecting his…what? Just what was Melisandre to Robert? His mistress surely, since Robert was married to Cersei, but that term didn’t quite suffice. She was most certainly not his whore. Stannis couldn’t abide anyone using that term to describe Melisandre, although he knew that some did. Possession was an appropriate description. Robert owned Melisandre, the singer, the star. He’d paid for all of it: the studio, the band, the equipment, the tour. In exchange, Melisandre performed for Robert, both on and offstage. Stannis felt bile rising in the back of his throat just thinking about it, but even possession did not capture the complexity of Melisandre’s relationship to his elder brother. Melisandre was no man’s kept woman. She was with Robert because she allowed it to happen, for reasons Stannis wished he could fully comprehend.

Apparently, Stannis was the only person that Robert trusted to guard his most precious asset. Their younger brother Renly was too irresponsible and was more likely to end up backstage partying with the band than carrying out Robert’s instructions. The tour was a veritable carnival of illicit activities that Robert referred to as business perks; these included non-stop parties, drugs, and eager young groupies hanging around the tour bus waiting for a glimpse of the band. Stannis knew that he was considered the boring Baratheon brother who didn’t drink or do drugs, the brother who never thought about taking advantage of the easy young women who would do anything for an opportunity to get close to their idol. Robert trusted that Stannis would not be distracted by any of these diversions and would be the one person capable of escorting Melisandre safely back to her hotel.

If Robert only knew the truth, that Stannis had been obsessed with Melisandre from the first time he had seen her in that club in the Village. He and Robert had been talent hunting for the company that evening. Melisandre had been a recommendation from Renly, who lived in the neighborhood. She was a stunningly beautiful redhead, sultry yet cool. Her music was pure singer-songwriter, although the group projected a folky image. The band was average and the guitar player was terrible, but Melisandre was magnificent. Stannis had never heard a voice like hers before. He was awed by her ability to convert raw emotion into music. Stannis had been entranced by her face and the expressions that transformed her features when she sang. Robert had never understood that it was all about the music for Melisandre; nothing else in the world mattered more to her, not money, not fame, and certainly not Robert. Stannis supposed that was the only reason that she allowed herself to be managed by Baratheon Promotions, for the sake of presenting her art to the world. Stannis knew all too well that it was nearly impossible for an unknown talent to break into the mainstream without professional backing.

Robert had been all over Melisandre immediately as Stannis had stood by silently, and watched his brother go to work, paying for drinks, then dinner, then more drinks, putting his mouth close to Melisandre’s ear when he spoke. She was exotic and vibrant and Stannis couldn’t stop staring. He’d wanted desperately to talk to her, to tell her how much her singing had moved him. Yet he’d said nothing, not even when her eyes had locked with his, mesmerizing him with an intensity he’d never experienced. It was if she was willing him to say something, anything, but he remained silent and let the moment pass.

All too soon, Robert was heading out the door with his arm draped possessively around the redhead; he shouted at Stannis to settle the tab before he herded her into the waiting car. Stannis had felt something twist painfully inside his gut that night. It was the same sensation he felt now as he watched Melisandre sing, her auburn hair falling softly on her bare shoulders as her voice soared so high that it threatened to lift the roof off of the small venue. He wanted her then, more than he had ever wanted anything and yet he hated her too. He hated her for selling herself to Robert, for becoming a commodity instead of the artist she had been. Stannis realized he was grinding his teeth, an old habit that he resorted to when repressed emotions threatened to interfere with logic. He had an assignment to complete; any feelings he may have entertained for Melisandre were irrelevant.

The song ended and Melisandre was blowing kisses to the audience who rained roses on the front of the stage, as burley security guards pushed back the surging crowd. She rushed into the wings as the band lingered to toss guitar picks and drumsticks to the fans.

“Stannis.” She stopped abruptly, nearly colliding with him before recognizing him in the shadows. He couldn’t tell from her expression if she was pleased to see him or not. She only looked confused, staring at him mutely until Gendry rushed up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and nuzzling his face against her neck.

“Mel, you were fucking sick out there tonight!”

He couldn’t be a day over eighteen Stannis thought, realizing that he was suddenly and quite inexplicably inflamed by jealousy.

“Melisandre, the car is waiting. We need to leave at once,” Stannis ordered impatiently while scowling at the young man. Melisandre made no move to comply. Stannis hadn’t counted on the possibility that she wouldn’t want to go with him.

Gendry looked at Stannis as if he were speaking a foreign language. “Come on man! Let’s party a bit first. What’s the rush?”

Stannis stepped in close to Gendry, making direct eye contact and lowering his voice. “You can party as long as you like. Melisandre is leaving.”

Gendry looked as if he were about to protest when a young woman wearing an extremely short skirt and long leather gloves appeared and draped an arm around his shoulders. Stannis recognized her as the bass player, Margaery Tyrell. Robert had discovered Margaery playing with a ska punk band in Boston and had signed her on the spot. In an apparent attempt to diffuse the situation, she faked concern but was laughing as she shouted in the young man’s ear, “Let go of the woman, Gendry! Robert will have your head if you pick a fight with his little brother.”

Stannis resented the way she referred to him as “little brother,” but he was grateful for the distraction that allowed him to disengage Melisandre from the boy and head her in the direction of the side door. Thankfully she made no move to resist. He had one hand on her back to keep her moving forward and knew something was wrong when she stumbled and grabbed his arm for support. She stared at her heels accusingly before kicking them off and continuing to walk barefoot her arm still linked with Stannis’.

“What are you doing here, Stannis?” The way she was holding onto him and looking up with those luminous eyes of hers made him want to kiss her right there, Robert be damned. Stannis wanted to tell her he was there for her, because he couldn’t stop thinking about her, and that he wanted to be with her every minute of every day. Instead he asked bluntly, “Are you on something? Pills?”

Stannis knew that she didn’t do drugs, or even drink alcohol routinely. But he had heard rumors that when she was around Robert for extended periods, especially on the road, that there had been changes in her behavior, various excesses.   He’d hoped those rumors weren’t true.

“Nothing you need worry about,” she replied cryptically before letting him sweep her into the limo that had been waiting in the alley. As Stannis climbed in beside her, the driver slammed the door, abruptly silencing the noise of the clamoring crowd.

The quiet was jarring. Stannis was sitting so close to Melisandre that he could hear her breathing heavily, her face still carrying the flush of euphoria from her emotional performance. A few strands of silky hair were matted to her sweat-dampened forehead. Stannis longed to reach out and brush them aside, but he stopped himself. She couldn’t possibly want him the way that he wanted her and he didn’t think he could stand it if she rejected his advances. Once again he did nothing.

“You should have let me change first; I’m a mess.”

Unexpectedly, Melisandre grabbed the hem of her top and pulled it over her head in one swift movement. Stannis’ heart stopped when he realized she had nothing on underneath. He stared, transfixed by the most perfect pair of breasts he had ever seen in his life, not that he had seen that many. He swallowed hard; the sensation of fire quickly spread from his face down to his groin. She had to know that she was torturing him.

Melisandre wadded up her damp shirt and slowly wiped the perspiration from her back and chest, spending a lengthy period of time around her cleavage. She smiled, studying the expression on Stannis’ face, and obviously enjoying the effect she was having on him.

“Give me your coat.”

Stannis quickly complied, wrapping her in his suit jacket although she didn’t bother to button the front. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her. They were so close that he felt the heat radiating off of her skin, the warmth of her breath against his face. He was burning for her. His ability to reason, to think of excuses for why he shouldn’t touch her had abandoned him. Stannis’ head swam and in an act of surrender he leaned in and pressed his forehead gently against hers.

“You shouldn’t be here, Stannis.” She scolded softly, reaching up to touch his cheek. “I can’t bear to see you disillusioned.”

In that moment he knew that Melisandre knew his secret. She knew that he had wanted her since that first meeting, just like he wanted her now and somehow it didn’t matter anymore.

“I could never be disillusioned by you,” he whispered hoarsely before pressing his lips softly to hers. He knew exactly who she was, more so than anyone, and it only made him desire her more.

Stannis felt her moan his name against his mouth as his hand slipped beneath the flap of his jacket to cup her breast. She responded by opening her mouth slightly and sucking on his lower lip causing him to groan because now he could taste her, and breathe in the scent of her perfume mixed with her sweat and what he hoped was her desire. The sensation was intoxicating and overwhelming. He kissed her again, more deeply, his free hand becoming entangled in her long hair. He wanted to taste all of her, every inch as his mouth moved to her cheek and down the silky skin of her neck. He tried to be gentle but he knew he was leaving red marks. His lips were too insistent and as he was nipping her with his teeth, a part of him wanted Robert to see them.

Through the fog of his desire he felt her fingers fumble with his tie and the buttons of his shirt. Her nails found bare skin. She kneaded the flesh of his lower back and forced him closer as he pressed her against the seat. The squelch of the leather as they moved made his mind engage once more. He pulled away from her a moment as the familiar enemy of self-doubt crept into his thoughts. He knew that his skill wasn’t likely to compare favorably to other lovers she had known. He wondered if she would compare him to Robert. He shouldn’t be doing this. The frown on his face must have alerted her to his misgivings. Melisandre placed two fingers against his lips.

“Don’t, Stannis. Don’t think too much. The only thing that matters right now is that we’ve both wanted this for a long time. I want you, Stannis.”

Melisandre replaced her fingers with her lips and kissed Stannis so intensely that his mind reeled. She paused briefly to reach beneath her skirt and he watched in fascination as she peeled black lace panties down her long legs and tossed them aside. He was painfully aware of his erection pressing against the constraints of his clothing and any thoughts of stopping vanished. Melisandre placed a hand against his chest and pressed him against the seat as she guided him onto his back. Her auburn hair cascaded around his face as she leaned over and re-joined her mouth to his, her tongue exploring even as she began to unfasten his trousers. As Melisandre sat up in order to free him, Stannis’ hands stroked the length of her torso to her breasts, her nipples hardening against his palms. Instead of a gradual introduction, she lifted her skirt and abruptly took him inside her, forcing a hoarse moan to escape from deep within his chest. The sudden intensity of their union caused his hips to buck against her of their own volition but she stilled him with a firm hand to his stomach and set the pace she wanted.

Stannis studied Melisandre’s face closely as his hands caressed her body. Her lips were parted and her eyes closed.   The expression of bliss that transformed her features he recognized from when she sang. Stannis could hardly believe that he was the cause of this and he tried desperately to match her rhythm and prolong her pleasure. She leaned forward as her movements became more determined, her breathing more irregular; and Stannis felt any semblance of control he had over his own body slipping away. His breath came in gasps as his thrusts became more forceful, demanding that she take him deeper, that she take everything he had.  In that moment she belonged to him, not to Robert or any other man.

Melisandre bit down on her lip, stifling a scream as she climaxed, her fingers digging painfully into his sides as she gave herself over to pleasure. His release wasn’t far behind and Stannis gasped her name giving one last thrust before his body pulsed, his heart pounding frantically within his chest. Sitting up, his hand combed through her hair as he buried his face against her neck, whispering her name and holding her trembling body closely. Melisandre continued to straddle him, the undulations of her hips slowing gradually. Stannis’ arms remained possessively around her as he waited for his breathing to steady. Though he wanted to stay joined with her forever Stannis felt his own body cooling all too quickly. He kissed her damp forehead softly before moving to disentangle himself from her embrace. He fastened his trousers and repositioned himself next to her on the seat.

Melisandre didn’t speak or look at him as she rearranged her skirt and buttoned his jacket around her middle. Stannis sensed a change come over her and he felt it in himself as well. They’d given in to their desire with no thought for what would happen next. There was sadness in her expression that matched his own; and he leaned in to kiss her lips, wanting to make her believe that everything would be different now even though he didn’t believe it himself. God, he wanted things to be different, for Melisandre to belong to him and not to Robert. She startled him by returning his kiss with a ferocity that he hadn’t expected and just as suddenly pulling away.

“You should take me back now,” she said softly, staring out the window at the city lights.

Stannis’ heart fell at the deadness of her tone. He leaned toward her again, but she turned her face away from him.

“Don’t.”

Stannis felt as if he had been slapped. He stared at Melisandre for a long time, but did not try to touch her. The heat of their recent encounter had faded and he was left with a cold chill that made him shiver as he buttoned his shirt and began to search for his discarded tie. He forced his mind to focus on the task at hand, anything but Melisandre and the pain that was beginning to gnaw like a rat inside his chest.

Stannis stared out the window into the night. Glimpsing lights reflected on water he realized they were somewhere in the area of the harbor. The driver had possessed the good sense to continue to drive until they’d finished. He punched the intercom and instructed the driver to head uptown to the hotel. He glanced at Melisandre again and started to say something. They needed to talk, to try and make sense of this, but she cut him off.

“We both know that Robert isn’t going to let me go, and neither of us want to risk carrying on an affair behind his back. We both wanted this to happen, but it won’t happen again,” she said flatly.

It was if she had completely shut down. The intimacy they had shared moments ago was over and now Melisandre was distancing herself emotionally from him. Stannis wanted to argue, to scream at her to snap out of it. He wanted to tell her that she belonged to him now, that they had a future together. But it wasn’t true. There was no future for them together that he could envision.

“If we were discreet, we could manage it,” he replied weakly.

“Discreet? Every time I turn around there is a camera in my face, someone is filming me. The driver was watching us the entire time. Did you forget about the security camera in the passenger compartment?”

Damn!He _had_ forgotten about the camera. There would be recorded footage as well. Stannis felt ashamed of himself for putting Melisandre in this position. He would have to pay the driver off now or risk ending up in a celebrity sex video on the internet. All hell would break loose if that happened and Robert found out. What if Robert found out anyway? The driver worked for him. Stannis’ head hurt from contemplating the potential consequences of his impulsive actions. What had he done?

“We could tell him. Maybe Robert will get over it. We both know how quickly he gets bored.” Stannis heard the doubt in his own voice.

“Are you talking about that twenty-year-old actress he’s fucking?” Melisandre laughed bitterly. “It doesn’t matter. He won’t let me be with anyone else, especially you.”

So she knew the truth about Robert’s latest trip. The cruel reality was that although Robert would eventually tire of Melisandre, there was no way in hell that he would ever allow her to find happiness with his younger brother. To do so would be an affront to his power, his manhood. Robert could ruin her career with a couple of phone calls. Stannis had seen him do it before. Melisandre was ambitious, a rising star adored by thousands and soon maybe millions. It was who she was and he couldn’t ask her to give that up, to diminish her talent, not when he had nothing to offer in return.

Stannis didn’t say a word as the car stopped in front of the posh hotel and the driver opened the door.   He thought he detected a smirk on the driver’s face but it quickly disappeared as Stannis followed Melisandre from the limo.

“I’ll walk you up.”

“No, let’s do this here. Goodbye, Stannis.”

Her lips brushed his cheek, lingering for a moment before she stepped quickly away toward the entrance and the waiting doorman. The fact that he didn’t blink an eye at the barefoot redhead dressed in a man’s suit coat was a testament to the types of patrons he normally served at an establishment that catered to celebrities.

Stannis stared long after Melisandre disappeared behind the wall of glass, letting his mind go blank. He couldn’t allow himself to feel, he didn’t think he could stand it. He realized that clutched in his hand was her shirt and underwear that he had grabbed from the back seat of the limo. He wanted to make sure that the driver didn’t end up selling them on eBay, but keeping them would be a painful reminder of how he had been too much of a coward to fight for her. Stannis had no doubt that the memory of this night would be a wound that would fester as his life returned to status quo. Once again Robert would get what he wanted and Stannis would do his duty. He returned to the car and ordered the driver to take him to the airport. The company jet was waiting to fly him back home and work. Robert would demand a full report.


	2. Melisandre

Melisandre closed her eyes and relaxed as her voice climbed the notes to the pinnacle of the song, the stirring melody that had every audience member singing along with her. It was almost eerie hearing them chant the words, nearly drowning out the sound of her own voice in the monitor. She experienced the peace and acceptance that she only felt when she was on stage and completely in sync with the music and the crowd. It was the closest thing to ecstasy that she imagined one could experience. She still had a slight buzz from the pills she had taken before the show, which only served to heighten the feeling. She hadn’t taken enough to hinder her ability to perform, only to take the edge off of the emotions left behind after her latest argument with Robert.

When the song ended she expressed her appreciation to the fans as they showered her with flowers. Then came the rush from the stage and for a moment she was content, high on adrenaline until she came face to face with Stannis Baratheon. Her heart stopped, literally skipping a beat before thudding again into a more rapid cadence. He wasn’t’ supposed to be here. Robert hadn’t said a word about it. She was confused and yet elated by his presence. It was always easy to forget just how much she wanted Robert’s brother until she was confronted by those beautiful, sad expressive eyes of his. Those eyes saw right through her polished image and into the core of her soul; it unnerved her. When she’d first met him in that bar in the Village, she had wanted to get to know him better, but Robert had taken the lead and made the first move. There was nothing she could do at the time; Robert’s marketing plan had been impossible to resist, and sleeping with him had been part of the deal. Stannis pretended that he didn’t care. Still, whenever they were together, she saw through Stannis’ indifferent demeanor and recognized the desire burning underneath. It frightened her a little because if she were honest with herself she knew that she could fall hard for him, perhaps she already had.

“Stannis,” she managed as he stared at her intently. Was he happy to see her? She couldn’t read his expression, although she noticed he was grinding his teeth and looking serious. Sometimes she wondered what he thought of her. Did he think she was Robert’s whore? She wanted to slap him for thinking that it was Robert she wanted when all the time it was Stannis; it had always been Stannis.

“Mel, you were fucking sick out there tonight!” Gendry Waters had come up behind her and was holding her and nuzzling her neck. She saw Stannis’ expression instantly darken and was delighted by the idea of him being jealous.

“Melisandre, the car is waiting. We need to leave at once.”

Melisandre made no move to pull away from Gendry, enjoying the slow burn of Stannis’ gaze, in fact she leaned back into Gendry’s arms.

“Come on man! Let’s party a bit first. What’s the rush?”

She was curious to see what Stannis was going to do as he stepped forward. He didn’t seem the type to engage in a backstage brawl and Gendry was harmless unless he’d had a few too many drinks.

“You can party as long as you like. Melisandre is leaving.”

She’d never seen Stannis be so aggressive before, he was practically snarling. He’d never had to take the lead with Robert around always managing everything. She rather liked this side of Stannis. Then Margaery appeared, interrupting the confrontation before anything interesting could happen. Clowning around with her bandmate Margaery faked a dramatic tone, “Let go of the woman, Gendry! Robert will have your head if you pick a fight with his little brother.”

Melisandre noticed Stannis make a face at that comment, but before anything else was said, he had his hand on her back and was practically shoving her toward the exit. Her head was spinning not so much from the pills, but from the realization that she was going to be alone with Stannis; the thought was both wonderful and terrible. She stumbled once, trying to keep up with him in heels and grabbed his arm for support. Her heels had become painfully uncomfortable and so she slipped them off and kicked them away.

“What are you doing here, Stannis?” She had to ask. Stannis had never come on tour before. A few times he’d come to the recording studio when Robert had wanted him to bring some contracts over for her to sign, but he’d never been to a show. She remembered that he had tried to pretend he wasn’t interested, but she’d caught him staring at her intently every time he thought she wasn’t looking. Was Stannis’ presence here Robert’s doing, or had Stannis come of his own volition?

“Are you on something? Pills?”

So that was it. He was here to babysit. The truth of it stung a little.

“Nothing you need worry about.”

Melisandre climbed into the limo and Stannis followed behind, sitting close beside her. Robert thought that she would be safe with Stannis. Robert thought that his brother was so repressed that even if he had the desire, he couldn’t possibly act on it. Melisandre knew that Robert was wrong.   It was obvious that Stannis wanted to fuck her, and tonight she had decided that she was going to let him. Even a man as controlled as Stannis could only take so much.

“You should have let me change first; I’m a mess.”

In a calculated move Melisandre grabbed the hem of her top and pulled it over her head in one swift motion. She was in no hurry to cover herself, slowly wiping the sweat from her body with her shirt. She observed that her actions were having the desired effect as Stannis stared longingly at her breasts, but she intended for him to do more than stare.

“Give me your coat.”

Melisandre let him wrap his jacket around her shoulders but left the front open to allow him easy access. She felt her own arousal deepening as Stannis moved closer, leaning to press his forehead against her own in an uncharacteristic gesture of affection. She knew that she had won.

“You shouldn’t be here, Stannis.” She reached up and stroked his cheek, his late night stubble rough against her fingers. Melisandre was overcome with a sudden sadness. She desired him yes, but she also felt something much more than lust for Stannis and knew that it was pointless to hope for a relationship that could never exist. “I can’t bear to see you disillusioned.”

“I could never be disillusioned by you.”

Melisandre heard the need in his voice and as he kissed her softly she knew that he had broken her. She moaned his name against his lips as she felt the warmth of his hand covering her breast. She kissed him more insistently, sucking his lower lip and grazing it with her teeth. Stannis groaned in response and she felt herself growing wet as his mouth brushed her cheek and moved to her neck where he began to nip and suck at her sensitive skin. Her fingers combed through his hair as she encouraged him, knowing that Robert would see the red marks that Stannis was leaving on her pale flesh.

Melisandre removed Stannis’ tie and unbuttoned his shirt as he continued to kiss her, craving the feel of his bare skin against hers. She slipped her arms around him, digging her fingers into his lower back and forcing him to press closer against her body. Suddenly Stannis lifted his head, pulling away and she could see him struggling to gain control of his emotions. He wasn’t going to lose himself so easily it seemed. She could sense the wheels turning in his head, worrying that fucking Robert’s mistress was not a good idea no doubt. Melisandre wasn’t about to let him stop now. She pressed her fingers against his lips, red from the lipstick that her kisses had deposited there.

“Don’t, Stannis. Don’t think too much. The only thing that matters right now is that we’ve both wanted this for a long time. I want you, Stannis.”

Melisandre kissed Stannis so ferociously that he couldn’t possibly think of stopping now. She intended to erase all doubt from his mind. She reached for her panties and removed them slowly for effect. Melisandre was aware of his intense gaze following her every move. One glance at the front of his trousers and she knew that he was more than ready for her. Pressing her hand against his bare chest, she pushed Stannis down and onto his back. She took his mouth again with slow deep kisses, sucking gently on his tongue while her hands began to unfasten his trousers. She felt him hard against her thigh while she straddled him and she experienced an urgent need to have him inside her. She sat up in order to mount him, and shivered as his palms slid up her torso and over her breasts making her nipples harden in response. The sensation caused her to moan and close her eyes as she took him inside without hesitation. She felt him push against her roughly, but she pressed her hand against his stomach, her hips undulating at a slower pace. She hadn’t imagined that it would feel this good and she felt herself losing control in a way she had never experienced.

Melisandre could tell from his labored breathing and incoherent grunts that Stannis wouldn’t last long but as she leaned forward and began to roll her hips more rapidly she realized that she wouldn’t either. She began to develop that familiar sensation that she had only experienced when she sang, the sense of ecstasy that came with the perfect blend of emotion and music, and she knew that her connection with Stannis was much more than sexual. Stannis grasped her hips firmly and began to thrust against her forcefully and Melisandre abandoned all control as she reached climax and her body clenched around him. She bit her lip hard to cut off a scream, digging her fingers into his sides in order to steady herself. All too soon she felt his movements slow and then he was whispering her name, his breath hot against her neck as his fingers entwined in her hair and she held onto him as tightly as she could. They remained joined like that for a few delicious moments as her breathing began to return to normal.

Melisandre wanted to remain in his arms forever but realized as he kissed her forehead that they should get dressed. She moved off of him and he began fastening his trousers as she silently straightened her skirt and buttoned the front of the jacket. Stannis was looking at her with a mixture of sadness and something that she might have defined as love, if she were the sentimental type. He leaned forward to kiss her and suddenly she didn’t care if it was love or not, she wanted him to know that she felt it too. She kissed him back fiercely as if he were the only man on earth, before the reality of it all overwhelmed her again and she forced herself to pull away. She couldn’t do this, it was too painful. She should have known she couldn’t have a casual sexual encounter with Stannis without all the complications that went along with it. What had she been thinking?

“You should take me back now,” she said softly, staring out the window at the city lights, trying to block out the emotions that she had so carelessly allowed to surface. She knew that Stannis was as confused as she, he tried to kiss her again but she couldn’t allow it.

“Don’t.”

Melisandre knew that she was hurting him. She saw it on his face as he began to button his shirt. She was sorry for that, but he would have to learn to live with the pain just as she would. Stannis instructed the driver to take them back to her hotel. She wanted to be away from him as soon as possible so she wouldn’t lose her resolve. She could tell that he wanted to say something, talk to her about their situation but she cut him off.

“We both know that Robert isn’t going to let me go, and neither of us want to carry on an affair behind his back. We both wanted this to happen, but it won’t happen again,” she said flatly.

“If we were discreet, we could manage it.”

“Discreet? Every time I turn around there is a camera in my face, someone is filming me. The driver was watching us the entire time. Did you forget about the security camera in the passenger compartment?”

Judging from his reaction, Stannis clearly _had_ forgotten. She could see him struggling with the initial embarrassment of that revelation. It was obvious from his furrowed brow that he was beginning to consider the ramifications of their impulsive act.

“We could tell him. Maybe Robert will get over it. We both know how quickly he gets bored.”

“Are you talking about that twenty-year-old actress he’s fucking?”

So Stannis knew about that too. The laughable part of it was that Robert didn’t even want her anymore. They had argued more frequently these days, enough that she was taking pills to calm her nerves. Robert probably couldn’t care less if she were sleeping with Stannis. In fact, Robert would probably be elated if a video of she and Stannis having sex appeared on the internet; the publicity would be sure to boost ticket sales.   Stannis would be the one who was hurt. “It doesn’t matter. He won’t let me be with anyone else, especially you.”

Let Stannis believe that little white lie if meant that he would accept that tonight had been a one-time event. Melisandre could hardly tell Stannis the truth. The problem wasn’t Robert, it was Stannis. She wasn’t in a position to part ways with Robert anytime soon. She was under contract for two more albums and the tours that went along with them; a four year commitment at minimum. Stannis thought that he could handle sharing her with his brother, but Melisandre knew all too well that there was no gray with Stannis, only black and white. If she and Stannis were to begin a relationship, it was only a matter of time until he would want her to end it with Robert permanently. Stannis wasn’t cut out for life on the road, she had seen that clearly enough at the venue. He would want her to give up the tours, the fame, and the lifestyle to which she was accustomed. They might be happy for a time, but eventually she would get frustrated and they would both grow to resent one another. It wouldn’t be Stannis’ fault or hers, but it was bound to happen and she couldn’t do that to him. She couldn’t give it all up and settle down, not yet. She and Stannis wanted each other; their recent encounter had left no doubt about that. Maybe they both felt something more than lust but it didn’t matter; it wasn’t enough.

Stannis was strangely quiet as the car stopped in front of the hotel and he followed her from the limo as the driver held the door.

“I’ll walk you up.”

She knew this would not be a good idea. She would end up taking him to bed and only postponing the inevitable.

“No, let’s do this here. Goodbye, Stannis.”

Melisandre willed herself not to feel anything as her lips brushed his cheek, lingering for a moment before she stepped quickly away toward the entrance and the waiting doorman. As she entered the deserted lobby, the polished stone floor cool against her bare feet, she remembered that she had left her shoes behind and was still wearing Stannis’ jacket.   Out of a sheer desire to torture herself, Melisandre pressed the lapel against her nose to breathe in his scent. Her heart ached from the absurdity of the situation. Admittedly, she was a driven woman, and when she went after something she got it. She wanted Stannis, she’d fucked Stannis, and in the end she’d lost Stannis. She hadn’t expected it to mean anything. Now she was left with the consequences of the choice she’d made, and a provocative memory that was sure to frequent her thoughts despite her best efforts to suppress it.

Melisandre had the elevator to herself at that late hour. As the doors closed and she glanced into the mirror, the graphic marks that Stannis had left on her neck were immediately apparent. She wondered if they would fade before Robert saw her next. It didn’t matter really. Robert would never imagine that they were caused by Stannis, his boring younger brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To clear up any confusion about what a monitor is at a concert, the monitor is a speaker which sits at the musician's feet facing them, and is used to feed back their own sound (vocals, guitar etc.) since the main mix going out over the PA system is projected into the audience. Basically you can't hear yourself play/sing when you're on stage unless you have one in front of you.


End file.
